Left field
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Roddick leads movement for ATP change
By Martyn Herman
Andy Roddick on Friday insisted that tennis players must adopt “one voice” to push through changes to the ATP Tour but that may not be as easy as it seems despite the general feeling of solidarity.
Pity Brad Drewett, the new chief executive of the men’s Tour, who has the job of trying to keep everyone happy, grand slam champions, journeymen, tournament organisers, sponsors and TV.
The moment he took over the reins the spectre of a player boycott has returned.
A meeting involving hundreds if players took place on the eve of the Australian Open and although talk of a walkout from Melbourne was aired it did not come to fruition.
But there is clearly dissent in the ranks, and Drewett is the man tasked with damping down what could become a firestorm in the men’s game.
Are there more cons than pros for shortening ATP season?
One person you will not find moaning about the length of the tennis season is Roger Federer.
While the ATP have trumpeted their decision to reduce the men’s season by two weeks to create a seven-week off-season, the 16-times grand slam champion has shown so far at the ATP World Tour finals that, at 29, he is feeling as fresh as ever.
Straight set victories over David Ferrer, Andy Murray and Robin Soderling put the Swiss into the semi-finals seemingly without breaking sweat and his record since losing in the Wimbledon final has been hugely impressive.
In fact, despite giving the new schedule, that will not take effect until 2012, a general thumbs up, you get the feeling Federer would be happier if it was left alone.
One of the greatest athletes ever to play tennis, Federer tends to suffer less injuries than other players and a longer off-season might help other close the class gap that is still so apparent most times he steps out on court.
“I think I’ve shown a lot of grit at the end of the season throughout my career,” Federer said after his 6-4 6-2 victory over a fatigued-looking Murray.
“This is the ninth time I’m qualifying and the ninth time also playing, the ninth time I’m playing through groups. I find an extra gear at the end of the year when the season is so long.”
Agassi’s confessions could have knock-on effect for Serena
Andre Agassi’s decision to open his soul and tell the world he took drugs and then hoodwinked his governing body, the ATP, into believing his failed drugs test in 1997 was a mere mistake could not have come at a worse time for Australian and Wimbledon champion Serena Williams.
While Agassi has been condemned by players and pundits alike for tainting the image of his sport, tennis authorities have come under fire for not investigating the matter thoroughly and believing Agassi’s lies.
One of the accusations against the ATP was it brushed the whole episode under the carpet as it could not afford to ban one of its biggest draws on the men’s tour.
In light of the Agassi debacle 12 years ago, Williams knows she could be in for some stiff punishment from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) even though the cases are so different.
Williams is in many ways the face of women’s tennis as she has won more grand slams than any other active player – her tally currently standing at 11 – and is also the world number one.
But her foul-mouthed rant at a lineswoman during her U.S. Open semi-final defeat against Kim Clijsters has left the ITF, who run the four grand slam tournaments, facing a real dilemma.
Should they make a stand by banning one of the sport’s biggest stars from taking part in one or more grand slam tournaments? Or should they simply hit Williams with a larger fine than the $10,500 she was handed at Flushing Meadows so that tournaments do not suffer financial consequences by the no-show of the biggest names in women’s tennis.
If Agassi keeps quiet throughout his life, his tennis achievements will be remembered for good. Now his sportsmanship goes down the drain, but his candid revelation of truth shows integrity that too makes up loss of reputation. He remains my idol.
So many whys in Agassi affair
“I was worried for a moment but not for long. I was actually excited about telling the world the whole story,” Andre Agassi said.
Except this was no ordinary story. One of the greatest players to have graced a tennis court had just revealed that he had taken drugs and then lied to the ATP about the circumstances surrounding his positive dope test in 1997.
The eight-times grand slam champion took the recreational drug crystal meth 12 years ago when his career was floundering – he found himself playing on the challenger circuit after sliding down the rankings to 141st in the world.
Although the substance may not be performance enhancing, the question on every tennis fan’s lips since the news broke is “Why?”
Why did Agassi take it? Why did the governing body of tennis clear him of any wrongdoing? And why did he disclose this bombshell now when he had effectively got away with it?
It is hard to believe that a popular sportsman who made over $31 million in prize money and several times that amount in endorsement deals would want to drag his own name through the mud just to get some publicity for his autobiography.
But that is effectively what he has done.
I do not agree with Andre,
But we must don our cup to the man telling the truth. If one questions his motives and attitude for reveling his weakness to taking “Ice”, people such as him, who are famous in sport or any together area of discipline in life will not be encouraged to tell the truth.
That is why we must commend him for telling the truth, even after so many years and not while plating the game of tennis, even though his act was both principally and ethically incorrect. This is very important to understand and accept.
Yours Faithfully,
R. K. Somasunderam.
Should Agassi face action for drugs confession?
Eight-times grand slam winner Andre Agassi left the tennis world in a state of shock on Wednesday when he admitted using the recreational drug crystal meth and lying to men’s governing body the ATP to escape a ban.
In his autobiography “Open”, the American candidly describes being introduced to the drug in 1997 and the moment when he was informed he had failed a drugs test.
International Tennis Federation (ITF) president Francesco Ricci Bitti said he was “surprised and disappointed” by the revelations and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief John Fahey called on the ATP to “shed light” on the circumstances that allowed Agassi to escape sanction.
Should there be any punishment against the retired 39-year-old?
PHOTO: Andre Agassi of the U.S. looks on during an exhibition tennis match against compatriot Pete Sampras at Venetian Macao in Macau October 25, 2009. REUTERS/Bobby Yip
I though Andre used a recreational drug, not a performance enhancing one. I don’t see any point in punishing him. Anyway, punishing him now does not make sense. If the doping authority deems this illegal, then he should have been caught during the tournament itself. It’s a mistake on part of the authorities. The world knows Andre has been a gentleman and a sincere player.
A tale of two draws at Flushing Meadows
It has been a tale of two draws at the U.S. Open, with the men’s seeds advancing full steam ahead and the women’s field in disarray.
Eight of the top 16 women’s seeds have been given the boot at Flushing Meadows, while all 16 men have strolled forward — the first time men’s seeds have marched in lock step into the third round of a grand slam.
Even more of the top-rated women could be getting the dickens beaten out of them going deeper into the tournament, especially considering the dangers that returning champions Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters pose after layoffs that pushed them down the rankings list.
Was a time that the early rounds of the women’s tournament was a yawner until the second week. Not so in 2009.
Meanwhile, the top 10 in the often volatile men’s draw have barely felt a ripple of opposition. Going into Friday’s fifth day of play at Flushing Meadows not one had lost a set.
“That’s shocking,” fifth-seeded American Andy Roddick said after his second-round victory Thursday. “Not to lose one set, not even a set? Not a quick little break at 11:00 (a.m.) out on grandstand? That’s pretty surprising.”
Andy Murray of Briton gained the unexpected distinction of becoming the first man among the top 10 to drop a set when he took one misstep Friday in a 6-2 3-6 6-0 6-2 second-round victory over 87th-ranked Paul Capdeville of Chile.
Expect Federer v Murray to decide US Open again
The final grand slam tournament of the year, which begins on Monday at Flushing Meadows, will welcome the world’s two highest ranked players in intimidating form.
Two Masters tournaments, the level below a grand slam, have been played this month with Murray triumphing in Montreal and Federer in Cincinnati.
Rafa Nadal has struggled to recover from the knee injuries that kept him out of Wimbledon, while a supporting cast of Djokovic, Roddick and Del Potro does not look strong enough to challenge the dominating duo on their favoured New York hard courts.
Looking just at the top two, Federer has the edge. The Swiss won his most recent encounter with Murray, in the Cincinatti semi-finals, has won three of the past four grand slam tournaments. And, oh yes, he is the five time defending US Open champion.
On top of that, when the two met in the final last year Federer won at a stroll. He played beautiful tennis as he destroyed Murray 6-2 7-5 6-2. The first set of the match was telling. A nerveless Federer repeatedly held serve with ease, and waited for first-night errors from his opponent, a grand slam final debutant. They duly came in the sixth game. The Fed broke for 4-2 and never looked back.
So what hope can Murray cling to as he embarks on his quest this year? Well, to get to last year’s final he had to beat the then world number one Nadal over five sets and two days — by far the greatest triumph of his career to date. Even if he wasn’t tired after that, and remember Murray is ultra-fit, a man who does sets of 400 metre sprints in the heat of Miami for fun, the mental effort would have been extraordinary.
Then there is their head to head record, which Murray leads 6-3. The Fed is nearly six years older and has made it clear he feels uncomfortable playing against Murray’s attritional style. And his wife Mirka has just had twins, with one of them called Charlene — suggesting a serious lack of judgment on Roger’s part (sorry Roger, only joking).
@BJ, RF was not wearing a ’16′ plated jacket but a ’15′ plated one. The sponsors prod them to wear it.
And honestly what’s queer with the name Charlene? & not with ‘John’, john?
Whatever happens @USopen other than Rafa, not many have the capacity to make it 15GS by the time they are 27.
-Sujay
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Federer is still the daddy
All eyes will be on new dad Roger Federer at the U.S. Open next week to see if he really can combine nappy changing duties with a successful run to another grand slam title.
The five-times Flushing Meadows champion, whose wife Mirka gave birth to twins Charlene Riva and Myla Rose last month, will be aiming to become the first parent to win a tennis major since 2003.
While parenthood has effectively ended the careers of many professional athletes, former world number one Stefan Edberg believes Federer’s pedigree sets him apart from everyone else and will allow him to buck the trend.
“Statistics tell you something of the past, it doesn’t tell you the future,” six-times grand slam champion Edberg, who will be competing in The Masters Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall in London in December, told Reuters.
“I think the biggest relief for Roger was probably winning the French Open. That’s really extended his career, I really believe so. He’s got the confidence, he’s got the momentum and I think having twins could have a positive effect, at least to start with that’s for sure, so I don’t see any problems for him at the U.S. Open.”
But that is not what the record books say. The last time a mother won a singles grand slam crown was in 1980 when Australian Evonne Goolagong triumphed at Wimbledon. Since then, only eight men have captured a major after embracing the joys of fatherhood.
While four — Pat Cash, Andres Gomez, Petr Korda and Albert Costa — were one-slam wonders, multiple champions Boris Becker, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Andre Agassi managed to add just one further slam to their haul after becoming parents.
Federer is on a roll and the healthy babies are just an added bonus to keep him motivated.
Nadal is human too
That’s the headline in the Spanish sports newspaper Marca tonight after Rafa Nadal’s defeat by Juan Martín del Potro in the quarter-finals at Key Biscayne.
Nadal hadn’t quite looked at his best this week so perhaps the result was not such a shock. But could this be a sign that the world number one is vulnerable? Maybe, but I wouldn’t read too much into it … not with the clay court season fast approaching.
Serena survives scare as women’s tennis continues to enthral
Serena Williams just survived a real scare against China’s Li Na at the Sony Ericsson Open here at Key Biscayne, Miami. The world number one’s bid to reach her sixth title in this event hung in the balance during a second set tie-break after she had made a dreadful start losing the first set 6-4.
Serena won that tie break to two and then cruised through the third set for a hard-earned victory in intense Floridian heat but hers would not have been the first shock at this tournament.
In fact, in the women’s event, Serena is the only member of the top five in the world rankings who was capable of reaching the last eight.
Russian world number two Dinara Safina, Serb Jelena Jankovic and Russians Elena Dementieva and Vera Zvonareva all suffered surprise defeats along with the poster girl of the tournament, Serb Ana Ivanovic.
In the men’s event though all the top five are through to the quarter-final stage and this is becoming a familiar scenario – upsets galore on the WTA Tour and business as usual in the ATP.
It used to be the exact opposite with great volatility in the men’s rankings and predictable results between the women. So why has tennis gone full circle?
Is it because of the emergence of so many talented women players from countries not known in the past for tennis prowess (Russia, Serbia, China?) Or simply that the leading men of this generation, particularly Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are just on a different level from the chasing pack?
Isn’t that a little harsh for a player who won the French Open last year?
And I think Simon’s main point is an interesting one. You have this situation where women’s tennis is much maligned for the honours being shared around when that’s precisely what makes it so interesting. Would that men’s tennis was so unpredictable.
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Resident Left Field Expert
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